Supreme Court Delays Decision on Whether to Grant Cert in the Case of Death Row Inmate Troy Davis, Widely Termed the Most Compelling Case of Innocence in Decades

June 29, 2009

NAACP Commends Court for Taking Time to
Thoroughly Review Case

Washington DC—The NAACP issued the following statement today in
response to the United States Supreme Court's decision to postpone
ruling until next term on whether it will grant habeas on the
Georgia death penalty case of Troy Anthony Davis. There is
overwhelming evidence of Davis' innocence that has never been heard
in court. The Supreme Court's current term ends today and the next
term begins in September.

“The NAACP commends the Supreme Court's decision to give further
consideration on whether to grant cert in the case of Troy
Davis. The execution of a likely innocent man must not
proceed, and we are thankful the Court has put the brakes on Troy's
execution," said Benjamin Todd Jealous, President and CEO of the
NAACP. “We read the Supreme Court's delay as a message to the
state of Georgia to resolve the issue by reopening the case in the
state courts,” President and CEO Jealous continued.

Edward DuBose, President of the Georgia State Conference of the
NAACP, added, "The Supreme Court has indicated that there is reason
to take another look at Troy's case. I am pleased that the Court
has taken note of the overwhelming evidence of Troy's innocence. It
is time for Chatham District Attorney Larry Chisolm to take action
to reopen this case."

The Supreme Court's delay will allow the NAACP and a myriad of
other groups to continue to increase advocacy efforts on Davis'
behalf in Chatham County and around the country. Today, a diverse
group of religious and civic leaders delivered over 10,000 hand
signed petitions from Chatham County residents to District Attorney
Larry Chisolm, urging him to stop the execution and reopen the
case. Another 50,000 petitions from around the nation were also
delivered.

A wide array of public figures, including President Jimmy
Carter, former FBI Director William Sessions, and former
presidential candidate Bob Barr have also called for a new trial
for Davis.

As Sessions wrote, "Crucial unanswered questions surround claims
of [Troy] Davis' responsibility for this terrible crime, and I
believe that the execution should not go forward until the courts
address them... Only a full hearing, with all witnesses subject to
rigorous cross-examination and a full exploration of the
circumstances of their testimony, will provide a means to determine
the reliability of this conviction. This never happened at trial.
It must happen now."

Davis has been on Death Row in Georgia for nearly 18 years,
after being charged with the murder of Police Officer Mark Allen
MacPhail in Savannah, Georgia. Davis was convicted despite
the absence of physical evidence linking him to the crime.
Moreover, seven of the nine witnesses recanted or contradicted
their original testimony; several of those witnesses say they were
coerced.

Founded in 1909, the NAACP is the nation's oldest and largest
civil rights organization. Its members in the U.S. around the world
advocate for civil and human rights, conducting voter mobilization
campaigns, and monitoring equal opportunity in the public and
private sectors.